‘Won’t roll out the red carpet’: Putin threatens Mc Donald’s if it returns to Russia

At the time of its exit from Russia, McDonald’s sold its operations to Russian investor Alexander Govor, a long-time franchise partner since 2015 who had previously acquired 25 McDonald’s restaurants in Siberia. The rebranded chain, Vkusno i Tochka (“Tasty and that’s it”), began operating on June 12, 2022.

‘Only chumps settle up’

Oleg Paroyev, CEO of Vkusno i Tochka, mocked McDonald’s intentions of possibly returning, questioning whether his “not-so-conscientious partners” should even be allowed to reacquire their former business. Paroyev added sarcastically, “Remember that old joke? Only chumps settle up. It’s the same thing here.” He further stated that any future cooperation with McDonald’s would happen only if it aligns with the Russian company’s interests and conditions.

President Putin emphasised that while McDonald’s and other Western companies left due to sanctions and the conflict, many others have shown interest in returning. He reiterated that Russia had initially created “the most favourable conditions” for these businesses, but they are now “trying to throttle us”.

According to AFP, Putin also expressed support for cracking down on remaining Western tech companies like Zoom and Microsoft, which still provide limited services in Russia. “We need to throttle them. I completely agree, and I say this without hesitation,” he declared in response to a Russian businessman’s suggestion to curb the influence of US tech firms.

Repercussions of war

The Russia-Ukraine conflict prompted a wave of economic sanctions from Ukraine’s allies, leading numerous multinational companies to either exit the Russian market or significantly limit their operations. Putin insists these moves have not harmed Russia but instead created opportunities to strengthen local industries, particularly in software development.